Knowing about the different acting techniques
will help you pick the right acting school,
so we've compiled a list of all the major acting methods taught in acting classes around the country.

Here's what you will find in this section:

1) Information on the basic idea behind each acting method.

2) What you can expect your acting studies to be like when you train in each one of these acting methods (what kind of exercises you will be doing in acting class, how much time you'll spend on relaxation, scene study, etc.)

3) Some sample acting exercises for each of these techniques for you to try at home and see which style of acting training you respond to best.

4) Which techniques are more suited to the kind of acting you want to do (some acting classes work best for film acting, others for stage, others for comedy, etc.)

5) Which techniques address actor strengths you want to build on or weak points you want to work on.

6) When possible, examples of celebrity actors who are known to use and have studied these acting methods are given. This should help you choose an acting style depending on the type of actor you want to be.

7) The must-have book to understand and study each of these acting techniques.

Remember... Techniques taught in acting schools are here to help you as an actor,
not hinder your creativity. Each of the acting techniques listed
have information on what acting problems they address, so
if you're not sure where to start, read the part entitled "is this technique for you" for each technique.

We hope all this information on acting techniques available to you has giving you a sense
of how each acting method will influence your acting training.
A lot of schools mix acting methods. That's great!
Rarely does one acting method work for all situations.

No matter where you pursue your acting studies, you should have a copy of one major book
written for each of these techniques,
so you're never out of resources when you hit a roadblock in your acting.
Feel free to use the search box below to look for acting books...

Choosing the right acting method

Reading about all these different techniques taught in acting schools can be overwhelming.
How can you really know which acting method will work for you until you try it in acting class?

Well... You don't. You start learning one method, you use what works and leave the rest, and you do the
same with every new acting technique you study until you feel you have your own way of working. That's how
every accomplished actor does it. And the longer you do it, the more the training behind the work
becomes instinctive and the more your craft (or technique) becomes art!

Good acting schools develop not only your acting skills, but your whole instrument.
Make sure the acting school you pick offers not just acting classes,
but also classes in movement, voice, speech, dance, stage combat, acting for the camera,
Shakespeare and audition preparation.

No acting training replaces experience. There's no acting training like being on set in front of a camera
or on stage in front of an audience.
This is where you can test what you've learned and see which methods work for what situations.

To help new actors like you get started in the business, I wrote an e-book titled
Become an Actor.
If you feel you need help to become an actor, click here
to read more about what the book can do for you.